The 'Morale Boosting' Quiz
by Bammshee
Summary: Aboard Destiny keeping moral up is very important and what better way to do so than thought a little healthy competition? One-Shot. Meant to be cheap and cheerful. Included most characters.


**Quick note (includes spoilers): Firstly, this is my first fanfiction ever so I'm pretty new to the system and so apologise for any mistakes on my part. Secondly, in regard to the story itself I know it isn't chronologically accurate (****SPOILER:****An example of this being the fact that Riley died before Brody and Volker had their conversation about the theme to 2001) but if you just take the story as it is: A bit of fun then hopefully you'll enjoy it.**

'It'll boost morale.' Colonel Young regarded his sergeant with a pensive stare, he'd heard that statement before – coming from the sergeant himself no less, but after last time's mishaps the Colonel had lost faith in the expression.

Riley had sincerely hoped the Colonel would be willing to overlook the causalities stemming from the last time Destiny's mismatched crew attempted to entertain themselves but the look in his superior's weary eyes told Riley the Colonel wasn't enthusiastic about endorsing the idea. So Riley resorted to laying the needs of the crew on thick.

'Last time...admittedly didn't go according to plan but this is different I promise you.' Young went to make his escape but Riley was quick to counteract, he hopped in front of the Colonel, bobbing between him and the door to his personal quarters, 'We all need some R&R, even you..._especially_ you.' Colonel Young dealt him a flat, exasperated look, 'Besides, what could possibly go wrong with a quiz.' Young reach for the door release again Riley wedged himself between the Colonel and his desperately desired target. Young supposed he could order the bubbling sergeant to leave him alone but this was one situation where the Colonel felt ashamed to pull rank, after all, Riley was so enthusiastic, it'd be cruel to dismiss him in such a way, 'There'll be two teams, I was thinking scientists against'-

'No.' Young quickly put in, Riley faltered caught between feeling dejected by the Colonel's disapproval and feeling pleased because Young was finally showing an interest, ' Let's be realistic here, putting a load of brain boxes together would mean no one else would have a chance plus Ms Wray would never approve.' He hitched up his belt and tone and tactfully navigated around Riley, 'I'll tell you what you promise me nothing...unfortunate will happen like the last time and I'll agree to this. The teams are to be mixed, so are the questions – there's to be nothing one sided, understand?'

'Yes Sir.'

'This is going to be a team bonding experience. So no fighting, this is an opportunity to promote the spirit of co-operation.'

'Of course, Sir.'

'And above all else, no cheating.'

Riley's smile was brimming with crafty intent.

'Wouldn't dream of it Sir.'

Young grunted and palmed the door release.

'It'll be tomorrow at Brody's Still, say about seven? I'm assuming you'll want to be quiz master?'

Young turned back in the doorway and barked out a dry laugh,

'Are you kidding me? My team's going to win!'

The following morning at breakfast the mess hall was buzzing with conversation regarding the forth coming quiz, a great deal of bargaining was taking place too as people fought to formulate their dream teams of the best and brightest.

'C'mon,' It wasn't the first time Eli had resorted to almost begging Brody to join his team, he'd offered him many things but Brody was adamant to remain on the side of the opposition. It was because of his inexhaustible passion for fun that Eli was indirectly nominated responsible for the establishment of the second team - the first team was headed by Riley

So far Eli had recruited what he supposed could be considered a diverse range of a talents, his first success story was Dr Park and with her came Master Sergeant Greer, before them he hadn't been having much luck as, due to recent events, everyone seemed to lack the energy needed to remotely contemplate entertaining anything other than their own for misery. But Park's interest was infectious and instilled even some of the more reclusive members of Destiny's crew with the motivation to get involved.

Next he'd persuaded Lieutenant James and Privet Becker - whose culinary skills were certain to come in handy. Then he'd been pulled quietly to the side by Colonel Young who'd asked him what team Camile was on. Eli had scratched his head,

'Riley's I think.' He'd said and the Colonel bobbed his head.

'Then I'm on yours.' With that he patted Eli firmly on the shoulder and walked away. Recently the Colonel and Ms Wray had been feuding less. They seemed to have realised they despite everything they relied on one another to keep things on the ship running smoothly, Eli wouldn't say they were friendly toward each other but they had developed a sort of tolerance between them and for now that was good enough.

The mess hall turned quiet, a few murmurs of conversation were exchanged but primarily everyone was paying close attention to who's team Brody was ultimately going to side with.

'Hey stop poaching my team!' Riley was also sitting at the table next to Brody, he rested his hand on the other man's shoulder and squeezed it possessively. Eli narrowed his eyes. Brody looked unnerved.

'You two are taking this way too seriously.' Chloe jested lightly drawing the attention away from Brody who made a point of sliding further down the bench away from Riley and Eli. Chloe had already been drafted into Riley's ranks and Scott along with her.

'What's wrong with a little competition every now and then, it's healthy. Besides, the team that wins gets to take the day off and I don't know about you but I could use a day of peace and quiet.' Eli said and Riley agreed, both looked incredibly serious.

'Well if that's the way you're thinking... have either of you asked Rush to be on your team yet?' As soon as the word 'Rush' passed Chloe's lips Eli and Riley's eyes grew wide, they stared at each other utterly astounded by the fact neither of them had thought of the scientist before now, '...I mean with him on your team you can't' – Riley and Eli had already dived away from the table, they pushed and shoved each other, battling for the lead as they sped off down a corridor, '...lose.'

Rush heard the commotion long before it actually reached him and when it finally did he kept his head down and focused on the console he was hunched over.

Riley was faster than Eli but Eli had managed to keep a hold of his collar for most of the way until the last corner they rounded before reaching the control interface room where Riley decided to bolt. He left Eli shouting and wildly staggering down the remainder of the corridor puffing and shaking a fist.

Riley bounded into the control room, he was laughing over his shoulder at Eli, pointing and jeering. Rush ground his teeth, he expected the man to stop, to carry on out of what had become _his_ domain but Riley didn't, he continued hollering and being generally distracting and Rush's patients weren't for testing. His head snapped up, his neck was stiff and he focused all his ire into an intense glare that Riley felt physically burning into his skull.

His smile fell away at once and his body turned rigid as if he'd only just remembered he was in the presence of the ferocious, fiery tempered beast they called Doctor Rush.

"Is there something I can help you with?' Rush seethed.

"Uhh..." The nature of his visit suddenly slipped is mind and Riley fumbled to remember what he wanted giving Eli time to catch up with him.

"Dr Rush!" Eli all but shoved Riley out of the way in order to steal Rush's attention, "There's a quiz tonight and you're on my team.' Eli blurted and Rush momentarily looked taken aback. Then with a drawn out breath he pinned back his lanky locks of hair from his face and resumed pouring over the Destiny's console.

"No thank you."

Riley and Eli looked at each.

"Does that mean you'd rather be on my team?" Riley dared to ask with a glimmer of hope although he was already certain of what the answer would be.

"No, it means I'd rather you left me alone."

Eli flung his head back and puffed out a frustrate growl.

"Dude come on! I could really use your help with this." He waited for a response but of course wasn't offered one, "You could consider this an opportunity to return the favour."

The lines on Rush's brow creased,

"Favour?"

Eli hadn't really wanted to employ his only leverage over the irate Doctor on a matter as trivial as a quiz but he was getting desperate.

"Unlocking the Ninth Chevron, you know you owe me for that. It'd taken you a lot longer to do it if it wasn't for me...might never have done it."

"Thanks for that by the way." Riley muttered. He wouldn't really call the Ninth Chevron a favour after where it led them and a he knew great deal of the crew would agree with him on that.

Rush offered Eli his most deadpan stare, one that showed no inclination of what he was thinking. He prodded a few buttons and Eli began to fidget, the second he opened his mouth, preparing to prompt a response Rush spoke.

'Don't you have any work to be getting on with Mr Wallace? Because if you don't I'm sure I can find you some.' And that was Rush's most polite means of telling Eli to get out without raising his voice.

The threat worked, Eli skittered out of the room and Riley hurried after him leaving Rush to bask in the peace and quiet he relished.

The night of the quiz was upon them, Colonel Young arrived early at Brody's Still and was surprised to discover it was already bursting with activity. Eli had his team huddled together to discuss tactics while Riley floundered with a Kino remote. There were two Kinos in the room, bought by Eli to document the event, one of which was now hovering haphazardly close to Eli's team, no doubt it was being controlled by Riley as he endeavoured to gain an insight into the schemes conjured by his opposition. Unfortunately for Riley he wasn't nearly as adept in Kino navigation as Eli. Greer was quick to spot the floating ball hovering above Park's head. He caught it and set it spiralling out of the room.

"Nice try." He gave Riley a disapproving look. Riley held up his hands as hadn't the slightest idea of what Greer was insinuating.

In the end Volker had opted to be quiz master, he and T.J had spent all morning and most of the previous day comprising a wide variety of questions they hoped would keep the teams on their toes.

Almost the entirety of Destiny's crew had squeezed into the hanger to either watch or take part in the quiz. The Still was working overtime to keep up with the demand for its bitter, brain-cell killing nectar.

Scott and Chloe were the last to arrive. They took up position around Riley's team's table and finally things were ready to get underway.

Volker welcomed everyone and T.J. darkly warned them that'd she'd be keeping an eye on both teams in case of cheating. Being the ships only practitioner people took her very seriously, T.J. didn't seem the type but if the opportunity arose who knew what ungodly pain she could inflict during the next routine physical evaluation.

The system for answering questions was simple, each time had been presented with a ladle from Becker's 'kitchen' one was made of wood with other made of metal. Whoever had the answer first simply needed to grab the ladle and bash it against their table to be heard.

Shouting out an answer without making some sort of noise with the ladle first resulted in points being deducted and given to the opposition.

The first question was an easy one: which two elements make up water?

The point went to Riley's team. The second question was also answered correctly by Riley's team as was the third and the forth and the fifth. Things were looking grim for Eli's team.

"What's the chemical symbol for Tin?"

To everyone's astonishment (And Eli's team's horror) it was Greer who snatched up their wooden ladle and beat it against the table. Not to be rude to Sergeant Greer but he didn't particularly seem like the 'science' type and Eli cringed as Greer drew in a deep breath. The Master Sergeant stood and took in the pasty faces of room,

"Sn." He said proudly and was rewarded with a slow hand clap from his team mates and a pat on the back from Colonel Young.

From then on Eli's time made their come back, they were slowly closing in on Riley's team, only two points stood between them.

"How many planets have we visited so far."

The room went silent. Then, a chorus of uncertainly:

"Uhh."

Fingers were counted and brains were wracked until eventually Eli gave up, leapt out of his chair and took off down a corridor.

"Hey! Where's he going?" Brody, now on his feet, demanded.

"Going to check the logs." Park replied. Like a bull having caught a glimpse of red rag Brody charged after Eli.

"Oh no you don't!"

The pair came stampeding into the Control Interface room where Rush was still stooped over the same console. He'd been so wrapped up on thought he hadn't heard them approach and by the time he did it was already too late.

"Move!" Brody grunted crashing into the scientist. Rush was clinging by his finger tips to the grimy metal rim of the console when Eli collided with Brody, having a knock on effect that sent Rush staggering across the room.

For a split instant Rush stood dumbfounded as he watched two grown men bicker and squabble and slap one another's hands away from a console he was _suppose_ to be working at. Then, after the initial shock wore off his temper returned.

'What the bloody hell do you think you're doing ?' He snapped. Brody, not even looking at the Doctor, raised a silencing finger.

"Shh!"

Eli punched a few more buttons then exclaimed,

'Ah ha! Sixty Seven.' He went dashing back down the corridor, Brody leapt on his back to slow him down. As they approach the Still room he abandoned Eli, gained the lead and thundered into the hanger.

'SIXTY SEVEN!' He bellowed through laborious pants for air. Eli crawled in behind him; wheezing.

"Correct!"

"But, you didn't bash your ladle."

Brody sank to his knees and wailed. Eli danced around him, wiggling his body like he was battling to keep a hula-hoop in motion.

The teams settled back into a rhythm Riley's team was still leading by two points but Eli remained confident in his team's ability to snatch the lead at the last moment.

Volker looked at the next question and then, casting Brody a sly smirk, read out,

"What is the other name given to the theme from "2001: A Space Odyssey."

Brody's expression morphed into one of absolute disbelief, without really thinking he allowed his head to drop until it hit the table a little too hard.

"Ow."

Eli's team frantically muttered between them, T.J. looked about the anxious faces as neither team was able to agree on an answer.

Then, someone in the doorway knocked a bulkhead,

"Also Sprach Zarathustra" It's by Strauss." Came a distinctly Scottish response.

The room fell into absolute silence, so much so the mechanisms of the still could be heard working.

Rush paced into the room, all eyes were on him and he knew it, he was used to it. Aboard the Destiny he'd inducted the hapless role of the Black Sheep but that didn't deter him as he made his way to still and poured himself a health amount of what many of the crew had lovingly come to call 'Paint stripper'

"So, who's winning?"

Silence answered.

"Uh, um, we are." It was Lieutenant Scott who'd finally answered. Rush bobbed his head.

"Then I suppose I'll go on Eli's team. Even the playing fields, as it were."

He didn't miss the derogatory scoff made by one of the bystanders behind him but he ignored it, "Anyone else wanna drink while I'm here?" He offered. The people around him thought he was joking and began to sneer but Rush waited for someone to say something, prolonging his own torture. In the end it was the Colonel who put him out of his misery.

"I'll have one Rush, thank you."

Rush seated himself on the far end of his team's table, not quite woven into their ranks and looking out of place among the rabble but time and alcohol would soon change that.

As the night progressed the gaps between people grew narrower, arms were woven around bodies and the noise of irrepressible laugher echoed through Destiny's age old passages. One too many shots had been knocked back in the moment and Eli was now nursing his head, which had turned to lead, against the cool steal of the table.

The question was a maths one taken from a newspaper that'd survived since the explosion of the Icarus base. It was one that should've been done in thirty seconds: simple addition, subtraction, some bracketing here and there: Something that should've been a walk in the park for the calibre of scientists aboard Destiny.

"I'm good ah' maff!" Riley shook a fist at the air.

"Come on Math boy we need you." Dr Park nudged Eli who let out a low whine.

"Bring it on yah bas!" Rush was standing.

"Quick! Get me some paper," Riley had already found a pen. Rush cawed mirthfully.

"I kin do it in mah head!"

"Sit down." Young caught Rush by his shoulder and pulled him into his seat.

Volker looked at T.J, whose pressed lips stifled a giggle, and whistled.

"Uh, okay, you'll be happy to know this is from the 'advanced' section," Rush clapped, "23 + 19, 5/6 of it + 19 divided by 9, n squared, double it, - 24, 5/12 of it and then 5% of that. What's the answer." Riley had just finished scribbling and was lunging for the ladle when someone got there first.

Both ladles clapped the table at the same time. Rush gazed across the room to see it was Chloe who was ready to answer for Riley's team. She smiled at him...but it wasn't a happy smile, in fact it was rather unsettling, the kind of smile that put Rush on edge, instilled him with a sensation of doubt that led him to believe he was going to be beaten by a girl whose only onboard talent, until a few months ago, was to organise a weekly yoga class.

"W-who was first?" Volker asked T.J. T.J shook her head, they'd both been so fast she honestly had no idea, "We'll call that one a draw."

Both competitors sat back in their chairs but continued to eye each other wearily. Chloe feeling strangely confident, it might have been the drink but for once she wasn't shy about meeting the Doctor's gaze and held it with unwavering certainty.

The next question, 'Name the four main female characters of 'Sex and the City' was answered by Lieutenant James and that brought the teams to a deadlock especially as Volker was now out of questions. Fortunately, he'd come prepared and from his back pocket revealed his tie breaking questions.

Both teams were to nominate a spokesperson to stand in front of the entire crew and answer the final question – only the spokeperson was allowed to answer this question. It was a great responsibility, nobody wanted to do it so naturally, Greer volunteered.

"Go on son!" Young cheered. Park looked thrilled.

Greer took up position at one end of the table in front of Volker. Ladle in hand. He stared over at the other team trying to pick out who he'd be up against. Riley looked like he wanted to be the one to snatch victory but he could no longer stand so it was Scott who got pushed forward; His team applauding madly.

Becker hammered his hands on the table, some others followed suit, Scott and Greer locked their sights waiting for Volker to being reading.

T.J. hushed the drum roll, Volker sucked in a deep breath.

"What is Doctor Rush's first name."

Scott and Greer, ready to scream out the answer, lurched forward but the answer got lost somewhere along the way their mouths and they ladles hovered mere inches above the table.

"What?"  
>"Is that a trick question?"<p>

Volker shook his head.

"Well this is something!" Dr Rush was laughing so hard T.J. feared he'd rupture his insides. Rush laughing was an anomaly, it was unheard of and the context that he was finding so hilarious...it seemed like he was being cruel to spite himself. It was a thick, muggy sort of sound – T.J. wasn't sure if she liked it or not.

"Do you know the answer?" Scott whispered to Greer, leaning close to his ear.

"Not a clue." He muttered back. They looked at one another and pulled a face then stared back at Rush.

Scott concentrated on Rush, giving him a hard, narrowing stare as he trawled through every fleeting exchange he'd had regarding the Doctor or even with Rush himself. Then, something!

A name sprung to mind, flickering like gold.

Lightly, he tapped his ladle to the table.

Scott's fingers formed the shape of a 'gun', he pointed them at Rush like he was about to nail his identity between the Doctor's eyes.

"Adam."

A roar of laughter erupted all around.

"That's my name!" Adam Brody was bouncing when he shrieked this. Realising he'd just cost his team the match Scott buried his face in his palms, peeping morosely through the gaps between his fingers as the crowds hooted and hollered.

"It's Nicholas yah daft sod! Nich-O-Las!" Rush slammed a fist against the table, stressing every syllable.

Greer clapped Scott on the shoulder,

"Better luck next time buddy."

**-****  
><strong>**Sorry for a bit of an open ending, I ran out of creative steam =P. Anyway, any spelling errors, grammar mistakes please point them out so I can correct them.****  
><strong>**Also I'm up for any kind of criticism, give me your opinion no matter how brutal :3**


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